Morning Reads 12/12/12

North Georgia and Gainesville merger approved; not part of deliberations, the drive from Gainesville to North Georgia’s main campus. It’s quite a haul. Middle Georgia and Macon State merger also approved.

The FBI has got their man in a 1.3 million dollar phishing fraud scheme. He was from Georgia.

Muscogee County teacher named 2012 Milken Educator. Allegedly, it’s the education version of the “Oscars.” No golden statues pictured.

“Sen. Gloria Butler wants “Pro Choice” car tags…Georgia Sen. Gloria Butler (D-Stone Mountain) says she may introduce an amendment to offer a Pro Choice license plate in the state following a judge’s decision on Tuesday that North Carolina can no longer offer a “Choose Life” specialty plate until that state also offers a Pro Choice version.”

With her doggedly stubborn determination to futilely advance social policy that is wildly-unpopular around these parts, I’m glad to see that State Senator Butler is once again aspiring to live up to the Georgia Legislature’s well-deserved stereotype of wasting preciously-limited taxpayers’ time and money.

Since we’re talking license plates, I’d like to see Georgia offer “native” plates similar to the ones in Texas.

In order to get the native Georgian plates, an individual has to present a birth certificate to their county tag office, proving they were born in Georgia. The funds from the native Georgian plates would go towards preserving historic Georgia landmarks and promoting Georgia history across the state.

As someone who had the privilege of living in a dorm and being a commuting student, a thirty minute trip is significant.

Let’s say you live on campus but a class you need is only offered at the other campus. It likely meets twice a week. That’s two hours of time spent driving a week. That is extra gas money, extra wear and tear on vehicles, and costly in terms of time. That’s two hours a person can’t be studying or working.

As beautiful as I think North Georgia is, these mergers were not done with students in mind. They were done to save the Board of Reagents rears.

Some counties like Fulton have set up special courts for businesses which streamline the process. Also, the General Assembly created a special, statewide tax court in its last session.

Problem: Our courts are so underfunded that people’s constitutional right to a speedy trial is being infringed.
Solution: Set up special courts for corporations so that _they_ aren’t delayed by all the riffraff who are not getting their speedy trial.

Yes, yes, it probably makes sense to have specific courts for civil vs. criminal stuff, as those two operate somewhat differently. But the idea we’re making specific business courts _in response to_ our criminal courts taking too long is absurd.

But heaven forbid we have a ‘business unfriendly climate’. (A _human_ unfriendly climate where people languish in jail denied their constitutional right to a speedy trial, OTOH, is just fine.)

I don’t have any problem with separate courts in principle. In fact, they’re probably a good idea.

I was just pointing out the utter moral _ bankruptcy_ of looking at the problem of ‘complete and utter failure to have a working court system’, and rigging a way for corporations (and only corporations) to have a working one. (And, in fact, thinking _their lack_ is the important problem to be solved. Not all those people who don’t get to court for months.)